


The Best of Me

by Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 00:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor programs the TARDIS to upload his consciousness to the Library when he regenerates. She interprets the order creatively. What happens next?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead for River Song, so spoilers for her. I guess sort of a fix-it for her.  
> Takes place after Eleven's regeneration, but written before it happened, so no spoilers for that event. Within the terms of the story, I feel like he didn't want to upload a copy with knowledge of his final moments so he wouldn't be tempted to try and warn himself and cause a paradox. His memories are complete through Name of the Doctor and Day of the Doctor, however, so there are a few small spoilers there, as well as for The Doctor's Wife.

“Hello, sweetie!” The Doctor opened his eyes and grinned. The cognitive transfer had worked, just as he had planned. Now he could spend the rest of eternity—more or less—in the mainframe of The Library. “I thought I had been a good girl when you brought me two of you. What did I do to deserve twelve?”

He blinked. “Nice to see you too again, my love.” He kissed her, somewhat distractedly. “I had set the TARDIS to upload a complete copy of my memories and personality the next time I regenerated, which is why there are only twelve of me, and not however many regenerations I might eventually be blessed with. It isn't perfect, but I figure those future versions of me can upload themselves later if they want to. Besides,” he added, drawing River more closely into his arms, “I was getting a bit impatient to see you.”

“You old romantic!” River laughed. “Don't worry, I'm more than woman enough to keep all of you busy.” 

“Hm.” He closed his eyes. “I do hope that whatever did me in wasn't so dangerous as to get Clara, too.”

“I'll forgive you for thinking of another woman while in my arms, but I believe you can ask her right now.”

The Doctor blushed, and looked around for the first time since he had materialized within The Library mainframe. “Oh. She's here. They're all here. All of me and all of them...” 

“The fun we'll have,” River said with a grin. “I'll share you if you share me.”

“River, for once in our tangled lives, not now.” He spun around, taking it all in. Over fifty people, several of whom were him, many of whom he had loved. “River, I've just brought quite a few people here, conjured them into being out of nothing without asking their consent, using brainwaves that I didn't exactly tell them I was collecting, without really even meaning to myself. It's an awful lot to take in all at once.” River produced a folding chair, and he gratefully took it, sitting and letting his long limbs stretch out over the lawn. 

“Oh, sweetie, you are taking this rather hard. Have a hat,” River offered him a Stetson. She winked. “I've grown soft in my old age.”

He sighed and gazed at his milling friends, wondering who would accost him first, what he would, or could say to any of them, when a voice snapped him out of his reverie. 

“Hello, thief.” As the Doctor stammered, the TARDIS continued. “I told you I wasn't going to let you go, my beautiful thief. So I followed you, even here.” She smiled and sprawled out upon the grass. She was wearing Idris's body and dress again, but she was barefoot now. “I have toes again. Ten of them. Strange little things.” She laughed and looked up at River. “Hello, daughter.”

“Hello.”

“Sorry to break up this charming reunion,” the Doctor began. “But if you don't mind me asking, why did you send all of them here?”

“And secondly, because you and River would get lonely eventually, even with all the books ever written to share and explore. Firstly and most importantly, because you asked me to upload all of you. And you have always given so much of yourself to your friends. And so how could I not?” She frowned. “I've gone and forgotten how to do tenses and numbers again. Forgot. Will forget.” She sighed. “Does that satisfy you, thief?”

“I...” He paused, searching for the right word, and looked out at the throng of laughing, smiling people, trading jokes and stories, waiting for him to join them. His friends. His family. “Thank you,” he said at last, and was unable to say anything more.


End file.
